Things Change
by bcbdrums
Summary: Drakken bit his lip. He knew that despite owing his life to Shego, he technically didn't have to include her in his decision. She was his sidekick and he was her boss. But lately their relationship had become…something deeper. He couldn't just…abandon her. Could he? "Hey…Doc…" she said, going down on one knee in front of him. Her eyes were sadder than he'd ever seen.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am _spamming_ Drakken/Shego today! Though this one is not so shippy. This was a prompt fill on Tumblr, requested by benjimators over there. From a "sensory prompt" list: finding old photographs you'd forgotten about. Also posted on Tumblr and AO3. Enjoy!**

* * *

Muted orange hues illuminated the wooden interior of the tree-house lair in Tahiti as the sun set. Drakken was shoving cardboard boxes around, trying to get them all organized by their contents.

It had been two days since he'd received a medal from the United Nations honoring him for saving the world, and six days since the alien invasion. Most of his time in that period had been spent either spreading his plant mutagen around the globe or showing others how to synthesize it to help stop the alien devices that were rampaging out of control.

This was the first night since his abduction that he had returned to the lair and as he went straight back into a normal routine, he finally felt as if he could breathe again.

"Phoo!" he exclaimed, letting out a breath as he stood and mopped his brow. It was far muggier than he remembered when he had first built this lair, but at the moment he didn't really care. For the first time since he'd been abducted, things almost felt normal.

Glancing around, he spotted Shego's discarded beach chair and pulled it up next to the box he had just moved and sat down in relief, watching the sunset through the window. He felt a creeping sensation on the back of his neck and a moment later the mutant vine with its pink flower had curled around in front of him, seeming to look at him in question.

"I don't know, flower," he said with sigh, leaning on his elbow. "This is…new ground."

"Hey, Dr. D.," Shego's voice caused him to turn around. "Thought you said you were going to bed?"

The vine slinked away as Drakken turned back to the window and crossed his arms. "I would if I could _find_ the bed," he grumbled.

He could practically feel Shego rolling her eyes behind him. Predictably, she crossed the room to another stack of boxes and ripped through the tape to get into one.

"Look, here's your futon…" she said, dropping the item on the floor as she walked up to the stack right next to him, "and here's your jammies," she said, opening another box. She plucked the folded clothes out and dropped them in his lap, followed by his teddy bear and slippers.

He blinked twice, and then grumbled out his thanks.

"You're welcome," she said. Her tone was almost polite, causing him to look up in curiosity. The moment their eyes met she turned away, walking back into some other part of the lair.

It had been like that since the ceremony. She never really looked at him, and their conversations were short and only about necessary things. She hadn't said anything sarcastic in over a day.

_"Drakken, get these things off of me!" she hissed out through clenched teeth as cameras began to flash._

_"I don't…! I didn't—" he stuttered, looking anxiously at the crowd as the vines tightened further around them._

_"Tell them to let go!"_

_"Rgh. Flower, let us go!" he commanded quietly._

_Obediently, the vines released them and Shego immediately stepped away from his side. He glanced at her as she swept her hair back, continuing to smile and wave as if nothing was amiss. He followed her lead._

He hadn't thought any more about it until they had arrived back at the lair and she immediately abandoned him for her room. When he realized nothing was in it since they hadn't had a chance to unpack, that's when he began really thinking back over the last two days.

Praise and honor and glory and a pardon, and money and job offers and research grants, and…..

It was beyond anything he had ever wished for, and he had made the excuse that he needed to do more work on his plant formula to ensure it continued working in order to escape the throngs. And now he realized that while Shego had been his companion through all of it, she had been completely silent.

He started to set his teddy bear back in the box when a large, dark book inside caught his eye. When had he packed that?

He lifted the old photo album out of the box and opened to the first page. Under the plastic was an 8 x 10 sepia photo of a baby wearing a white frilly dress and cap, giggling up at whoever was behind the camera.

_'Drew's christening,'_ the caption read in his mother's handwriting.

Drakken began perusing the album, genuinely not remembering the last time he had seen it. Had his mother brought it during one of her visits? Had Shego packed it?

It was his entire life, condensed into one cliche narrative: the story of geek-boy, growing up brilliant and receiving all the accolades from school and from his family, but utterly friendless. He didn't like remembering it, and wondered again where the album had come from.

When he reached the final few pages he slowed down and actually looked. One photo was in front of the dome of M.I.S.T., where he posed with James, Bobby, and Ramesh in front of Bobby's new Audi. They were all smiling and throwing hand-signals that they thought made them look cool. Next to that photo was one of his mother kissing him goodbye on the day he had moved into the dorms.

He sighed. The college photos were painful, but he did like to see them. They reminded him of why he had become a villain.

But now…

The jobs he had been offered, the invitations to join research teams, the _pardon_… Everything he ever wanted and more was being offered to him on a silver platter. He finally, finally had the recognition he had wanted all his life.

Except…

He looked down at the images of his so-called friends, who had mocked and teased him and put down every innovation he had ever tried. Then he looked out the window, watching as the sun slipped beyond the horizon.

The awards and privileges were conditional. The only way to keep them would be to stop being a villain. And if he stopped…would he eventually be ridiculed again? Would his heroics be forgotten in the face of his…unconventional ideas?

And if he _didn't_ change his ways, what would the world do to him?

His gaze drifted through the darkening skies until resting on the remains of the alien robot which Shego had demolished.

Shego…

He sat forward suddenly as he realized—none of it would have been possible without her. The earth would be under alien rule right now if she hadn't come after him and saved him. He'd be dead and forgotten, his corpse mounted on some Lorwardian's living room wall.

He tried to tell himself that of _course_ she had come after him, he was her boss after all. It was in her job description to save him. And besides, he was the world's utmost genius. It would have been _crazy_ of her to not…

He slumped back and hung his head. Who was he kidding? He was _lucky_ she'd come after him. He had no idea why she stuck with him at all, especially after everything that had happened the _first_ time Warmonga had shown up.

He owed Shego everything. It…wasn't really for him to choose his fate, if he was being fair. And he already knew what Shego would choose.

He felt a twinge of pain in his chest then, and realized that…maybe he really did want to try out being on the side of good again. Maybe? But there was no way Shego ever would, so there was no more point in thinking about it.

It was dark now. He may as well try to get some sleep.

He stood up and turned around, and was startled to see Shego leaning against the door frame, watching him.

He caught the strangest glimpse of sadness in her eyes before she quickly put on a smirk, and then shoving off the wall she started toward him.

"Reminiscing, Doc?" she asked.

He glanced down at the open album that hung in one hand at his side.

"Mm. As little as possible," he answered, closing the book and setting it back in the box.

"Don't know why you keep that. I'd think it would just remind you of how much everyone hates you."

He cringed. But then he took a breath and looked her in the eyes. "Funny thing… I don't remember packing that album. Do _you_ know how it got in there?"

She halted her approach, and he smirked.

"I knew it! Where did you find it anyway? My mother's attic?"

She crossed her arms and turned away, her head held high. "Hey, I was just trying to help. Every villain needs to fuel their evil fire now and then."

He watched her hair swaying in time with her steps as she walked away, and he sighed through his nose. Frowning, he spread out the futon in the middle of the floor and began unbuttoning his lab coat. Maybe he could sleep off his disappointment…

"Don't worry, Shego," he said, his voice low.

She stopped and turned back, looking at him curiously.

"Worry about what?"

"I'm not going to take any of their job offers…or their pardon."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why not?"

He dropped his coat onto her beach chair and started on the rest of his clothes. She turned her back while he changed.

"Wouldn't work out…" he muttered.

"What? But…how do you know?" she asked, glancing briefly over her shoulder.

"I just know!" he spat as he hurried into his pajamas. "Where are the blankets…"

"The same box as the futon," she said. "But…you're always ranting about wanting to be recognized for your genius. Isn't this everything you've ever wanted?"

Drakken ground his teeth as he dragged a blanket out of a cardboard box and spread it over the futon. She knew well and good it was everything he wanted. Couldn't she just—!

"'Can't I just' what?"

He blinked.

"Did I…say that out loud?"

She turned to face him now, hands on her hips. "Uh-huh."

He frowned and crossed the room to the box with his teddy bear, retrieving it in a hurry.

"Just let me get some sleep, okay!"

He pulled a pillow from the first box, dropping it on the futon and then quickly hid himself under the blankets, staring furiously at her ankles as she continued to stand over him.

"'Can't I' what, Doc?" she said again.

"Just…leave me alone, Shego!" he said, rolling over to face the taller stack of boxes.

It was silent for several moments, save for the crickets outside. Finally, he heard her sigh.

"Fine…" she said, her boots echoing on the wooden floor as she walked away.

When he closed his eyes, images of the faded photos from his college days appeared in his mind's eye. He let his anger seethe as he tried to fall asleep, remembering everything his so-called friends had said to him back when he still believed in things like hope and happiness.

No. It really wouldn't work in the end, anyway. Even if it didn't happen immediately, the belittling would eventually start and he'd be banished down into obscurity again.

Though her tactics were dirty, he supposed he really was lucky to have Shego there to keep him firmly grounded on his evil path.

Gradually his breathing evened, and he let himself focus on the chirp of the crickets and the sound of the breeze blowing through the palms. It sounded like applause…and it reminded him of the ceremony at the U.N.

He would never hear that applause again. If he betrayed the world now, they would never recognize him the way he wanted them to. All he could do was…subdue the world, and rule it through fear…

Understanding suddenly hit him. He…didn't want that anymore. Not after knowing genuine praise and honor. To get what he wanted through evil-doings would just feel…empty. If he didn't choose the straight and narrow, he would be miserable for the rest of his life.

He began to relax into his newfound understanding, but then his eyes flew open as he remembered—it wasn't what Shego wanted. Never in a thousand lifetimes would she go back to the life of 'good'.

He bit his lip. He knew that despite owing his life to Shego, he technically didn't _have_ to include her in his decision... But theirs was an unspoken partnership. While he still referred to her as his sidekick and she called him her boss, their relationship had become…something deeper. She was part of his—he rolled his eyes at himself—evil family. He couldn't just…abandon her. Could he?

He sat up on the futon, clutching his teddy bear tightly to his chest as he stared out the window at the dark silhouettes of the palms, his face twisted in worry. Apparently…this would be a far more difficult decision than he'd thought.

Behind him, watching from the door frame, a fearful tear slipped down Shego's cheek.

After a moment she stepped forward, and he turned at the sound of her steps.

"Hey…Doc…" she said, going down on one knee in front of him and looking at the floorboards. Her eyes were sadder than he'd ever seen.

"Shego?"

"I…I'm sorry. Do whatever you want, okay?"

"What? But…" he turned around and sat on his knees facing her, confusion written on his face. "You…do know what that would mean. Don't you?"

"I know," she said, her breath catching. She glanced up for the briefest of moments, and he was startled as the moonlight revealed two tear tracks down her cheeks. "It's fine," she continued. "Don't worry about me."

"What? But…Shego—"

"Don't worry about me!" she said, turning and running from the room.

Drakken stared after her, mouth agape as he fell back on the futon.

What just happened?


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: By popular demand, part 2 and the conclusion. Enjoy!  
**_

_**EDIT: The stunning cover art was a birthday gift for me, and specifically fan art of this fic. It was drawn by the talented GothicThundra, whose fics and art you must peruse right now! Fics are on this site, art is is on dA. Here is the fan art link; remove the spaces and obvious typo: gothicthundra. tumblr. kom/ post/186503109659/happy-early-birthday-bcbdrums-from-their-fic**_

* * *

It was barely a moment before Drakken was up and running after her, his teddy bear forgotten.

"Wait!" he hurried into her darkened, empty room where she was pacing angrily. "Shego, what—"

"Go back to bed!" she cut him off, tossing him a furious frown as she continued wearing a path into the floorboards.

Drakken watched her in utter confusion. First she was mocking him, then she was crying, and now she was mad at him?

He fidgeted anxiously, wondering momentarily if he should check her for a moodulator, but then took a step closer. "Shego, what did you mean, not to worry about you?"

She stopped pacing and threw her head back, her face contorted in frustration.

"Rrgh! Look this isn't easy for me, so just...just shut it. I'm sorry, okay? Forget what I said about everyone hating you and just...do whatever you want!"

She never looked at him, and when she finished speaking she continued her pacing along the back wall as far away from him as possible.

Drakken was even more confused. He supposed he understood the apology for her attempted manipulation, but...

"...But, Shego. I...really do want everything they're offering. Well, most of it anyway," he said thoughtfully.

She finally stopped and leaned back on the wall, her arms crossed in front of her. He could just make out her scowling face in the dark.

"I _know_ you want it. So, go for it. Go claim your prize. Congratulations," she said impatiently.

"But..." he took another step toward her, "you don't want it."

She lifted her eyes to his, and he was surprised at how angry she looked. "Yes. Doy. I know. You know. We both know!"

He blinked. "I don't understa—"

"Doc, did it ever occur to you that you don't have to include me in your future plans?"

He blinked again. She groaned and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't have to involve me."

He cocked his head and blinked twice more.

She hissed through her teeth and stepped right up in front of him. "You. Me. Not working together anymore. No more contract. You go be the world's golden boy, and I'll keep tearing things apart."

His jaw hung open as he stared at her, lost for words. It had never _occurred_ to him that they wouldn't...

"So...give me my beach chair and I'll get out of your hair," she said, moving around him and back into the main room.

He turned and hurried after her. "But Shego—"

"It's _fine_, Doc! I told you not to worry about me. I was taking care of myself long before you ever showed up."

He watched as she picked up her beach chair and dumped his clothes off of it and onto the futon. She started toward the door.

He ran after her. "Shego—"

"Get over it, Doc! Things change. That's life."

"But Shego—"

_"What?"_ she snarled, raising a glowing fist beneath his chin.

"You don't have to— I mean, y-you can stay and I'll... I mean, you can have the lair."

She dropped her hand, the green glow vanishing. "Huh?"

"Or another one if you want, or...or all the lairs. I...guess I won't need them, anymore..." he finished quietly as a deep weight settled into the pit of his stomach. It seemed that he had made his decision.

Shego blinked at him, her anger fading. "That's...real generous of you, Doc."

He realized he was standing only inches away from her and took a hurried step back.

"Ah...so...which ones...do you want?"

A smirk slowly settled on her features. "Can't really argue with Tahiti."

* * *

Three days later, Drakken stood on stage at his would-be _alma mater_ to receive an honorary doctorate and to present about his mutant plant formula. It was awkward, to say the least. The last time he'd "presented" anything to anyone besides Shego and his henchmen had been when he'd been a student, and those times hadn't gone very well either.

It was only the presence of the Possible family in the front row that gave him any confidence. The surprisingly supportive smiles of his former teen foe and her two parents let him know that it wasn't a complete disaster.

Later in his hotel room, he was actually relieved when the knock at the door turned out to be Kimberly Ann.

"What...um, can I do for you?" he asked nervously, turning away after opening the door and resuming his careful packing of his new degree certificate.

Kim stayed in the open doorway, her hands folded in front of her and an honest smile on her face.

"I just wanted to let you know that you did great out there, and well... I'm glad you decided to stay on the good side."

"Heh heh. Thanks," Drakken said, glancing at her shyly.

Kim took one small step inside and began glancing around. "So where's Shego?"

Drakken's face fell. "Oh, she...I suppose she's still at the lair."

"At the lair?"

"Or she may have gone on vacation. She did that a lot."

Kim shook her head in confusion. "I don't get it. Why would she be on vacation?"

Drakken snapped his suitcase closed and looked at the itinerary that was taped to the outside of it. His flight to Canada left in three hours. Plenty of time to get to the airport.

"I'm actually not sure why she went on vacation so much," he answered honestly.

"But...why isn't she here?" Kim continued.

Drakken felt a weight deep in his stomach like the one he felt every time he'd thought of her in the past three days. Which was every five minutes or so. "Oh, she isn't working with me anymore. We've gone our separate ways."

Kim's eyes widened. "What?"

"She didn't want to be on the good side."

Kim shook her head again. "Wait, time out. So she's still going to try to take over the world?"

Drakken shrugged. "I suppose. Although random mayhem always seemed more her style..."

"I don't get it," Kim said, shaking her head. "I thought you two were, you know..." she gestured idly with one hand.

Drakken blinked at her in confusion. "What?"

Kim looked oddly uncertain. "What I mean is...you two always seemed so tight. Even when you weren't in synch, you were. I...guess I thought you would always be partners."

The weight felt even heavier in Drakken's stomach, and he sat down on the hotel room bed, thinking about the morning he'd left only three days prior. She'd jokingly promised not to destroy any of his inventions for at least six months, and he'd not-so-jokingly promised not to turn her in. She'd been annoyed by his seriousness and sent a green blast after the hover car, hastening his departure.

"Drakken?"

He realized he had zoned out, and Kim was looking at him uncertainly.

"S-sorry," he said, looking down at his itinerary again. Time for lunch was penciled in in red right after the lecture... He groaned and threw his head back. He was already messing things up!

"What's wrong?"

"Nngh, I'm off schedule!"

Kim came fully into the room and peered down at his itinerary. "Shego made that for you, didn't she."

Drakken glanced away, suddenly suspicious. "So what if she did?"

Kim took a step back. "See, that's what I mean. It's _weird_ that you two aren't together."

Drakken pushed off the bed and picked up his suitcase, heading for the door. "Well sometimes things change," he said impatiently.

He was halfway down the hall when Kim's voice stopped him.

"Maybe they shouldn't."

He turned and looked back to where she stood with one hand on the door frame, her form silhouetted by the sunlight in the room behind her. He slowly started back toward her.

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"I mean..." she ran her fingers through her hair, "Gosh, I can't believe I'm saying this. I mean, maybe you should...stay in villainy."

Drakken blinked twice and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I'm not following you."

"I mean..." She looked sad. "You're not really going to be happy doing this, so why waste time?"

He set his suitcase down and crossed his arms. "I'm here _because_ this will make me happy. That's the point."

"Yeah, and I get that..." Kim said, looking away. "But I'm getting ready to leave for college, and I know how tough it's going to be, to be away from Ron for so long..."

"What does the buffoon— I mean, eh...Stoppable...have to do with anything?"

Kim rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair again before hugging herself. "This is _so _awkweird... I just mean...you're not really going to be happy being away from Shego. Especially forever."

Drakken felt the weight in his stomach agreeing with her, but he ignored it. "Of course I am. I'm getting everything I've ever wanted."

"Everything?" Kim asked.

He opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly he felt uneasy about his answer. Was there something missing? He fought down the unease and pressed forward. "Yes, everything. Even Shego knows that. She encouraged me to do it."

Kim's eyes widened, and for reasons unknown the blue scientist felt even more uneasy.

"Oh, Drakken..." Kim said sadly.

Drakken began fidgeting. "...What?"

"It _is_ just like me and Ron. Don't you understand that she's in love with you?"

The world seemed to stop. Kimberly Ann's words echoed in his mind until they were a relentless flood, drowning out the rest of his senses.

Shego..._loved_ him?

"It's just like...when Ron told me he was okay with things changing, and that he didn't want to hold me back. And...of course we can't know exactly what's going to happen in the future. But I _do_ know that Ron Stoppable is a non-negotiable. And so whatever does happen, ultimately he's going to have to fit into the puzzle, and as the biggest piece too. I can't have it any other way."

Drakken heard her, but he was lost in his memories of everything that had happened since the ceremony at the U.N. Shego's uncharacteristic silence through all of the interviews. Her lack of mocking. Her cruel manipulation with the photo album. Her tears. And her insistence that he leave villainy behind and pursue his dreams.

His heart was pounding. Could it be true?

He dropped to his knees and opened the suitcase, tossing aside his doctoral certificate along with various articles of clothing as he searched for something.

"Drakken? What are you looking for?"

"Aha!" he cried, holding up his prize in delight.

"A tracking device? Let me guess...you have Shego chipped? Does she know about this?"

"She's still there!" he cried as the tell-tale blip appeared on the screen in the middle of the Pacific. He threw everything haphazardly back into the suitcase and slammed it shut, barely getting it latched before he grabbed it and ran down the hall.

"Hey, Drakken?"

He stopped short at the corner and looked back, suddenly remembering Kim Possible was there.

"Good luck," the teen said with a smile.

A moment passed, and he returned her warm gaze. Then he rushed away with one purpose in mind. He finally knew what would make him happy.

* * *

The sun had set by the time he reached Tahiti, and as he slowed the hovercraft above the lair he saw it was in darkness. The tracking device still showed her there, so either she was asleep or the electricity was still out.

After parking he leapt down onto the balcony and rushed through the door. He almost ran straight into Shego, who stood ready to attack whoever was intruding.

"Dr. D.? What are you doing here?"

He froze as he realized he hadn't thought this far ahead.

"I...changed my mind. I still want to be a villain after all."

Shego's eyes narrowed on him in disbelief. "What!?"

He fidgeted and smiled innocently. "Hmm," he nodded.

Shego...looked furious. "Ugh!" she cried in disgust, turning on her heel and heading toward her room.

Drakken moved to follow but then stopped as he took in his surroundings. Everything was exactly as it had been when he left, right down to his teddy bear and mussed blanket laying on his futon.

He hurried after her and pausing in the doorway found that her room was still empty. She was leaning up against one of the corners, her arms crossed and her head down.

"What...have you been doing since I left?" he asked cautiously.

She glared at him. "Thinking. But no, ser-seriously, Doc. What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be off...getting hero-worshipped or something."

He took a deep breath and entered the room. Each step that brought him closer to her increased the anxiety on her face. He stopped his approach about six feet away from her.

"It...wasn't what I really wanted," he said, shaking his head.

She gaped at him. "You've got to be kidding me! After all the— Nnn, no, no, we already went over this," in three quick steps she was in front of him, her hands on his shoulders turning him around and pushing him toward the door, "you wanted the world to recognize you for your genius, and now they do. So just...get over what ever stupid idea is in your head now and—"

"No!" he shoved his hands out and braced himself against the door frame.

He turned around, and she looked genuinely shocked.

"No?"

He took a few quick breaths. "No. I mean...you're right, I thought I knew what I wanted..." he said, rolling his eyes nervously and raking his fingers through his hair. He started pacing a small circle as he spoke. "But then I couldn't stop thinking about— And...then Kim Possible said—"

"Kim Possible?" Shego crossed her arms. "What does she have to do with this?"

Drakken looked at her. Gone was her bizarre behavior of days past. From head to toe, she looked ever the impatient, volatile sidekick who had been in his employ for the past several years.

And he started second-guessing himself.

"Well she— And the future—" he fell on one knee in front of her, pulling at his hair with both hands now. "And the itinerary! And Stoppable not holding her back, and you _telling_ me to do it, and—"

"You know when you kneel like that, you look like you're about to propose marriage," she said with a smirk.

"—and non-negotiables, and— What? No, no, no no no no!" he said, standing up in a hurry and waving his hands in panic.

Shego cackled, and his panic soon gave way to frustration.

"Ngh. Grh! Nyaaaaah!"

A long string of incoherent syllables flew from his lips while she stared on in amusement, until finally he turned with an exasperated sigh and slammed his forehead against the wooden wall, his fists soon following suit.

His breaths were heavy as he stood unmoving with his eyes closed, trying to process everything. Shego was acting just like her old self.

Kim Possible must have been wrong.

"...Dr. D.?"

"...Ow."

He heard Shego sigh. "Look Doc, I don't know what brought you back here, but it can't be worth this much aggravation. So, tell you what—get yourself a good night's sleep and then in the morning you can go back to all your genius big-shots. Aren't you supposed to be in Canada right now?"

His eyes opened. That weight was back in the pit of his stomach. No, he knew exactly what he wanted now.

He turned around just as she set her hands on his shoulders to push him through the door again. Her face was set in determination.

"No!" he cried.

"I'm trying to be nice, here," she growled out, shoving him fiercely.

He grabbed onto the door frame again to block her from pushing him out. With a scowl she grabbed his wrists and yanked them down. Suddenly, his vine shot out from under his collar and spiraled around them before either knew what was happening.

Drakken coughed as the wind was knocked out of him and took a moment to catch his breath. When he did he noticed that he and Shego were pinned front to front, and her irritation was quickly turning into rage.

"Not this again!" she shouted, and he covered his ears. "Tell your stupid vine to let go!"

"F-flower, let us go!" he commanded, though his voice was shaking.

The response from the mutation was to curl even tighter, restricting their movement. They both gasped as they lost their footing, stumbling until Drakken's back was up against the wall. He looked down at her nervously, his hands raised in innocence while hers were in fists on her hips, her expression radiating disgust.

"Rrrghh!" she growled, igniting her hands and setting them against the vines.

Sudden, searing pain made Drakken see white. He realized he must have screamed because of the additional pain in his ears. But then as quickly as it started, the burning sensation began to diminish.

His legs shook beneath him and he pressed his back and hands against the wall to help keep himself upright as he caught his breath. A moment later he opened his eyes and saw Shego's horrified face. He swallowed nervously and glanced down to the scorch marks on the vines that still tightly held them together.

So it was _that_ kind of mutation. Great, just great...

"...Are you okay?" Shego asked. Her voice was tense, and full of remorse.

"I think so," he said breathlessly.

The fear receded from her eyes. "What's with your stupid vines?" she said shakily.

Drakken tried to ignore the throbbing in his neck. "Ngh, I don't know! They have a mind of their own."

Shego sighed and crossed her arms, arching her back away from him. As he looked down at her, her expression was annoyed, but gradually becoming thoughtful.

"What's going on, Dr. D.?"

He blinked down at her. She was waiting for his answer.

"You're...non-negotiable."

She narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"Ngh, I mean... Being recognized by the world isn't the complete puzzle."

She frowned at him pointedly. "You're not making sense."

His instinct was to pace, or pull his hair, but with the vines trapping them he found all he could do was lift his hands and gesticulate. That felt odd to do with Shego so close in front of him, so he kept his hands merely hovering next to his sides.

"It might make me happy for awhile, but it...won't last."

She shook her head. "You know, you're unbelievable. And I'm _not_ non-negotiable. Things change, Doc."

He heard a slight catch in her voice, and he focused all his attention on her eyes. She still looked irritated and impatient, but that strange bit of sadness from days ago was back.

"I don't want them to change!" he bit back at her.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Look. If this is some stupid nonsense about you wanting me around as some sort of P.A., you can hire somebody else. And if you're just afraid of things being different—"

"N-no," he shook his head quickly. "Nothing like that."

She blinked at him. Suddenly she began to look anxious. "And...if this is about me not getting my say in this, I'll go out and cause some newsworthy destruction tomorrow if it will make you feel better."

He swallowed anxiously, letting his eyes answer for him.

She crossed her arms. "Then what?"

He felt blood beginning its journey upward to flush his cheeks. She looked even more nervous.

"We're both getting everything we want," she protested against his silence. "I'm happy, you're happy. You _saved the world_, Doc. It's better than being an evil dictator, because everyone's actually happy to have you. They literally owe you their lives. Countries globally are begging you to visit so they can honor you. The entire world is yours, Doc. I don't see what your problem is. So...find a way to get your stupid vines off and just leave?"

Her voice had gotten more and more tense as she spoke, her throat finally constricting on her final words. There was a significant amount of moisture in her eyes, which she hid by closing them tightly.

"Shego..." he protested softly.

She responded by slamming her fists into the wall on either side of his head, her face twisted in...some kind of emotion.

Just then the vines tightened again and she stumbled as they both gasped for breath, her chest colliding with his as her forearms dropped to rest on his shoulders.

She looked up at him in shock, and he was surprised to see the beginnings of a blush on her cheeks.

He bit his lip. "You're not happy with...how things are, any more than I am."

She looked away in frustration, tears coming back to her eyes. "So what if I'm not? It's not like you can do anything about it. But I'm happy _for_ you, so just...just go, rule the world. You don't have to do anything for me. I'll be _fine_, Dr. D."

His heart was pounding. He took a deep breath and pursed his lips in determination. "What if I could?"

She suddenly tensed and gave him a sidelong glance. "What?"

"What if I could...do something about it?"

Her eyes widened, a myriad of emotions wildly passing through them as she stared at him. She took a deep breath and clenched her teeth tightly together, blinking away her tears.

"You can't," she hissed out defiantly.

He glanced briefly at the scorch marks on the vines pinning them tightly together. He realized then that he could feel her heart beating in time with his. He was fairly confident she wouldn't try to blast the vines again, considering what happened before.

He gathered his courage to speak, willing his voice to come out strong. Instead it came out in a mild squeak, but his words were still clear.

"I love you."

She gasped and stared up at him, her eyes betraying only shock. He quickly closed his own and held his breath, bracing for the ridicule that he was sure was soon in coming. But he would take it. At least he had tried.

Moments passed and he realized that there was no mocking. In fact all he could hear was her breathing, nearly matching his in its anxious pace. He cautiously opened one eye, and then the other. She was still staring at him, now with some sort of...expectancy. Her forearms became heavier on his shoulders.

He blinked in uncertainty. Why was her face so close to his? Had he remembered to say it out loud? He drew an anxious breath, about to try again, when-

"Aren't you going to kiss me now?"

His eyes widened. Her own seemed to be urging him on. He felt a sudden heat and perspiration down the back of his neck as he looked at her hesitantly.

Her expression changed as some thought suddenly struck her, and she looked up at him warily. "Don't tell me... You've never kissed anyone before?"

"Uh, heh heh..." he chuckled nervously, offering her a smile as he shrugged.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh."

He was still bracing himself for disappointment, but then all his senses lit on fire when she placed her hands behind his head, pulling him toward her. She rose up on tiptoe until their faces were barely separated by breath, her body pressed warmly against him.

He watched in fascination as her eyes fell closed and then her lips gently pressed against his. Her fingers wove into his hair and pressed into his scalp, soothing his nerves even as he took in the velvety petal-soft sensation of the kiss.

After a few seconds she pulled back, looking at him with that same expectancy and now just a hint of impatience.

"Well?" she said.

His response was to let out a long, shaky sigh and to sink back against the wall, a dreamy smile settling across his face.

Now she looked annoyed. "You're gonna have to try harder than that."

He blinked down at her, not quite sure what she expected him to do. After a moment he shrugged again. "Um..."

"Oh, for the love of—" She wrapped her arms fully around his neck and this time when she pressed her lips to his, it wasn't a peck. His body felt like it was floating as she moved her lips against his, capturing his lower lip between hers. This time he responded and a gentle contest ensued between them as each tried to gain dominance over the other with the action of their lips.

His arms, which he had kept hovering by his sides, now wrapped tightly around her, pulling her into him as if he could somehow capture the essence of her and make her part of himself. Apparently he held on too tight, because she broke away and gasped for breath, resting her head on his shoulder as she did so. He loosened his grip on her and relished in the soft sensation of her hair brushing against his cheek.

After a moment she lifted her head and moved her fingers back into his hair, the fingers of one hand weaving in and out of his ponytail and twisting it around. With her lips parted she moved forward for another kiss, but was stopped by his words.

"Shego," he panted, and she looked up at him. "I don't need the world..." he said, shaking his head definitively, "as long as I have you."

Her lips parted in a silent gasp, and she gazed into his eyes in wonder. Wonder gave way to a demure apprehension, and then finally to unveiled happiness. She blinked quickly to hide the tears that came to her eyes un-beckoned.

She pushed herself higher on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck again, smiling into his face while he held her tighter. Neither noticed that the vines which had entrapped them had long since vanished.

"I love you, Dr. D.," she said.


End file.
